Writing guide for blind persons



Jan. 14, 1958 L. B. BROWN 2,819,541

WRITING cum: FOR BLIND PERSONS Filed July 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 7 4 I I I o ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

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L. B. BROWN WRITING GUIDE FOR BLIND PERSONS N A NM 3 L R A a w .m 7/////Z/// h. I, Q v M u N f I022 256 .5. Brawn,

Jan. 14, 1958 Filed July 27, 1956 United States Patent WRITING GUIDE FOR BLIND PERSONS Louis B. Brown, Duquesne, Pa.

Application July 27, 1956, Serial No. 600,464

3 Claims. ((31. 35-38) This invention relates to a writing guide for blind persons.

' An object of this invention is to provide a guide wherei With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view partly broken away and in section of a Writing guide for blind persons constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in horizontal section of the device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the writing sheet in advanced position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a base board which has secured to the forward portion thereof, a pair of upstanding blocks 11 and 12. The board 10 also has secured thereto inwardly from the longitudinal edges a pair of writing sheet guide bars 13 and 14 which are provided along the inner edges thereof with spaced notches 15. These notches 15 are adapted to assist the person using the device in the advance of the writing sheet 16 over the upper surface of the board 10.

The board 10 has disposed transversely thereacross a pair of writing guide bars 17 and 18 which adjacent the opposite ends thereof are held in spaced apart relation by means of upstanding pins 19 carried by the board 10. The guide bars 17 and 18 are constantly urged toward each other and into contact with the pins 19 by means of a pair of elastic or yieldable members 20 which extend through openings 21 formed in the adjacent ends of the bars 17 and 18. The bar 17 is provided between the ends thereof with a reduced thickness 22 and the bar 18 is provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper surface 23, which surface has a guide to guide the point of the pencil to the space 24 between the confronting edges of the bars 17 and 18. The bars 17 and 18 are held against upward movement by means of an inwardly projecting flange 25 which projects from an L-shaped angle member 26 secured to each of the blocks 11 and 12. The angle member 26 has the vertical side 27 disposed on the inner side of the adjacent side block 11 or 12, and the horizontal side 28 extends through a cut-0ut or slot 29 formed in the adjacent block 11 or 12. A screw or fastening member 29' extends through the horizontal side 28 for securing the angle member 26 in proper position. The flange member 25 is secured to the vertical side 27 by fastening means 30 and as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the vertical side 27 is formed with a downwardly extending slot 31 through which. the fastening members 30 engage so that the flange member 25 may be vertically and angularly adjusted. The blocks 11 and 12 are each provided with downwardly extending transverse slots 32 and 33 respectively so that a transverse rod 34 may be slidably and loosely disposed in the aligned slots 32 and 33. An L-shaped holding member 35 has a vertical side 36 extending into a slot 32 or 33 and the horizontal upper side 37 of each L-shaped member 35 is secured to the upper side of a block 11 or 12 by means of a wing nut 38 which is threaded onto a bolt 39. The rod 34 has fixed thereon in substantially the longitudinal center thereof, a right-angularly disposed looped pencil guide 40. The guide 40 extends over the two bars .17 and 13 and is provided with a downwardly turned rear end 41 which is adapted to slidably engage on the upper side of the guiding sheet 16. The guide 40 is formed with parallel sides 42 and 43 which are spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit the formation of a character therebetween by the pencil which extends into the loop 40 and between the bars 17 and 18. The rod 34 is provided along the length thereof with spaced notches 44 which form spaced teeth 45 and a resilient rod member 46 which is secured by fastening means 47 to the inner side of the block 11, is adapted to engage in the notches 44 between the teeth 45. The rod 34 also has secured at at least one end thereof a knurled knob 48 so that if desired rod 44 may be partially rotated. The notches 44 provide a means whereby the user may extend a finger only into a notch which is closely adjacent the block or side member 11. In this manner the person using the device can by feel move the rod 34 crosswise of the board 10 for a predetermined distance. This distance may be the width of a character or other spacing between predetermined words or characters. The vertical side 36 of each member 35 is adapted to frictionally contact with the rod 34 so as to provide frictional resistanc to free transverse movement of the rod 34 across the board 10.

In order to provide a means whereby the writing sheet 16 may be advanced forwardly over the board 10, I have provided upper and lower feeding rollers 49 and 50 which are rotatably disposed between the blocks 11 and 12. The lower roller 50 engages in a transverse channel 51 which is formed in the board It] so that the meeting point between the rollers 49 and 50, will be in the same plane as the upper side of the board 10. One end of the upper roller 49 has a knob 52 secured thereto so that the rollers may be rotated in order to advance the sheet 16 along the surface of the board Ill. The board 10 may be provided with transverse cleats 53 on the lower side thereof so as to raise the board above the supporting surface.

In the use and operation of this device the paper sheet 16 is initially laid on the upper side of the board 10 and at the same time a plastic sheet 54 is disposed on the upper side of the sheet 16. These two sheets 16 and 54 which have their forward edges substantially flush with each other, are then slipped beneath the guide members 17 and 18. The two sheets are pushed forwardly to a point a ora where the sheets contact the meeting point between the rollers 49 and 50. At this time the upper plastic sheet 54 may be removed leaving the sheet 16 with the rollers 49 and 50 so that the sheet may be moved forwardly with turning of the rollers 50 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3, 5 and 6 With the sheet 16 in the position shown in Fig. 6 a pencil may now be extended within the pencil guide member 40 with the point of the pencil or pen projecting between the guide members 17 and 18. At the start of the writing the guide member 40 may be dis posed at the left portion of the board and may be progressively advanced to the right across the board 10 and the sheet 16, as the writing progresses. The guide member not only provides a means for guiding the pencil, but also provides a partial rest for the right hand during the writing operation. When a line of characters has been written on the sheet 16 by advancing of the guide 40 across the sheet 16, the writing sheet may be advanced forwardly by turning the knob 52 clockwise so that the feeding rollers 49 and 50 will pull the sheet 16 forwardly for a distance which may be determined by feel in the notches 15. This writing guide will provide a simple means whereby a blind person may legibly write on a paper sheet, and the device being of relatively simple construction will not get out of order.

In order to provide a smooth surface on which the sheet 16 is adapted to slidably engage, the upper side of the board 10 has a plastic sheet fixed thereon. This plastic sheet 55 will provide a smooth surface which will facilitate the forward movement of the writing sheet 16 as this sheet is initially inserted in the machine and as this sheet is advanced during the writing operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A writing guide comprising a board, a pair of parallel guide bars extending transversely across said board, means loosely mounting said bars on said board, a looped pencil guide, a rod fixed to said pencil guide and extending transversely of said board, and means carried by said board mounting said rod for transverse movement relative to said board.

2. A writing guide comprising a board, a pair of parallel guide bars extending transversely across said board, means loosely mounting said bars on said board, a looped pencil guide overlying said guide bars, a rod 'slidably mounted on said board and fixed to said pencil guide and extending transversely of said board, teeth carried by said rod, and a yieldable latch member engageable with said teeth for holding said rod in transversely adjusted position.

3. A writing guide comprising a board, a pair of parallel guide bars extending transversely across said board, means loosely mounting said bars on said board, a looped pen u e, a. rod. fixed t said p n il g i e and, exten i g transversely of said board, means carried by said board o se y .rnou ing vsaid rod fo transverse mov m n an teeth carried by said rod whereby the transverse move-. ment and position of said rod may be gauged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,084 Synnott Nov. 19, 1867 547,800 Nord Oct. 15, 1895 980,623 Frost Ian. 3, 1911 1,340,529 Davison May 1 8, 1920' FOREIGN PATENTS 121,069 Germ ny -r---.-----v n- 7, 1900-. 

